The Chinese and Asian Art Forum. For Fans, Collectors and Dealers.
Basic Rules For the BidAmount Asian Art Forum: Talk about whatever you want. You can even discuss and offer things that are for sale if they are authentic. Maximum image file size per post is 2 MB. Images of 700pxl x 700pxl are optimal if saved at a medium resolution. Be respectful of others and enjoy yourself. Click the YouTube link for a brief tutorial on using the forum. You can also EMBED Videos by cutting and pasting from You-Tube, Vimeo etc.
NOTE: To post an item or add a new post, click open the category title from the FORUM LIST, and CLICK the Blue ADD TOPIC button.
Hi again, This is another snuff bottle that was appraised in 2007. Appraisal said it was glass with a coral top. It does have a coral top, I’m not so sure it is glass though. I think it is maybe a natural material such as maybe agate? It has the russet streak running through it and it appears to be carved, not formed. Any comments appreciated.
Tracy
First reaction to your photos is that there is nothing really special about the bottle ($50-100 value retail).
The photos are not clear enough to tell if this is agate or glass. You also do not show the bottom foot area, nor a close up of the carved handles (if carved).
Does your bottle float in water? The best snuff bottles will float because the hollowed out interior requires extensive work to remove the excess bottle material (stone/glass) in order to maximise the holding capacity of the bottle.
The bottle looks 20th c., but that does not mean it is not of good quality.... proper photos are needed for this.
@greeno107 Hi. Thanks for your comments. Much appreciated. Though I was happier with the “incorrect” appraisers analysis on these. I don’t think she was experienced in this field as with myself. I have attached a couple more photos.
@tracyc Geniunely sorry that I am the bearer of bad news, but it's best you hear the cold hard facts.
This one appears to be agate, not glass, but the quality of the carving and the absence of a defined foot rim (it's just flat) tells me that it, too, is a late 20th c. tourist piece... $10-20 retail.
If you have a group of bottles or other items... post a photo of everything. Others, and I, will chime in if anything is of further investigation.
@greeno107 Thanks again. I really appreciate the sharing of knowledge, however painful. Learned a great deal. I do have a few more items which I will post soon. Tracy
@tracyc What is the stopper spoon made from? Is the coral set in silver (is there a Chinese silver mark on the underside of the stopper?). This stopper form is typical of 19th c. Is the stopper cork? The matching of coral/silver & agate is a popular combination. The stopper alone may be worth selling by itself as people are screaming for good stoppers for their bottles that are lacking them.
The bottle looks like agate but glass imitations of agate isn't uncommon. I suggest getting a 10x loupe and seeing if you can see bubbles, if you can see bubbles its glass, if not it may be agate. Don't worry about the base not having a foot, a lot of agate bottles have similar rounded polished feet - HEREis an example without a foot ring and HERE is another, and finally HERE is one last one. My only problem with the bottle is mainly the lion masks which are extremely pronounced - this isn't right imho. Snuff bottles were a multi-faceted sensual pleasure devices - they have to not only look beautiful but they should also feel wonderful in the hand. So when masks are applied to the edges, they shouldn't block the smooth tactile experience of holding the bottle and moving it around in your hand - they should enhance it - which I don't believe these masks do. The carvers of these bottles were extremely aware of all these factors and balancing them with proper proportions was important. So, to have the masks so protruding indicates it is probably a later piece, I wont say its modern though but it probably wasn't made to be used.
D.
The stopper alone may be worth selling by itself as people are screaming for good stoppers for their bottles that are lacking them.
DannD, I know you said, 'may be worth selling,' but did you look at the stopper closely?
There is a fairly large black inclusion in the 'red coral', and rather than a stopper made mostly of coral with a fine silver rim, the stopper is mostly of metal (most likely nickel alloy) with a poorly colored piece of coral (presumably red coral).
Also, the examples you posted without foot rims are similar to pebble form snuff bottles...very rounded, with no exterior carving, and using high quality agate. Sort of comparing apples and oranges.
When a snuff bottle is carved with handles, it generally has a carved foot to better simulating a vase if it is of good quality. Like this...
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21821/lot/9239/
There is no evidence of quality here at any level.
@greeno107 Coral has dark dimple inclusions so I am not surprised about that. HERE is the a very similar stopper that is coral with a dark inclusion but gilt bronze rim. HERE is another example and HERE. I think the OP's stopper is older than the bottle itself, you can tell that it doesn't fit the bottle flush either. The color of the coral is also correct, it should be a salmon orange as you can see in the examples.
As far as handled snuff bottles needing a carved foot, I agree with you. As I mentioned in my post it is about the overall composition and any carver would take into consideration the proper form and proportions.
Latest Post: This dish with dragons has issues but I'm curious about 2x 5 clawed dragons chased by 2x 3 clawed dragons. Our newest member: Mae Naylor Recent Posts Unread Posts
Thanks for visiting "The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art"
If you sell on eBay, or have a shop feel free to post images and descriptions and links.
Check back often for discussion about the latest news in the Chinese art and antique world. Also find out about the latest Asian art auctions at Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams and Tajans.
Auction results for: fine porcelain, ceramics, bronze, jade, textiles and scholar's objects. As well as Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and other Asian cultures.
Thank you,
Peter Combs
Topics and categories on The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art
Kangxi vases, Kangxi dishes and chargers, Kangxi ritual pieces, Kangxi scholar's objects, Qianlong famille rose, Qianlong enamels, Qianlong period paintings, Qianlong Emporer's court, Fine porcelain of the Yongzheng period. Chinese imperial art, Ming porcelain including Jiajing, Wanli, Xuande, Chenghua as well as Ming jades and bronzes.
Join the BidAmount Chinese and Asian art discussion board and forum today
The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art
A free Asian art discussion board and Asian art message board for dealers and collectors of art and antiques from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and the rest of Asia. Linked to all of the BidAmount Asian art reference areas, with videos from plcombs Asian Art and Bidamount on YouTube. Sign up also for the weekly BidAmount newsletter and catalogs of active eBay listing of Chinese porcelain, bronze, jades, robes, and paintings.
The art of calligraphy - and for the ancient Chinese it certainly was an art - aimed to demonstrate superior control and skill using brush and ink. Calligraphy established itself as one of the major Chinese art forms during the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), and for two millennia after, all educated men were expected to be proficient at it.
The Museum’s collections of Asian art span nearly five millennia and encompass the cultures of China, the Himalayas, India, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. In 2007, the Museum launched an initiative to create dedicated galleries for the collection, beginning with a gallery for the arts of Korea ...
Chinese art is full of symbolism, in that artists typically seek to depict some aspect of a totality of which they are intuitively aware.
China Online Museum is the finest online museum of Chinese art. It features Chinese calligraphy, painting, ceramics, bronzes, carving, and other artworks.
Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. Overview Upcoming auctions Contacts Auction results ... Christie’s sales of Chinese ceramics and works of art showcase centuries of Chinese history. Held throughout the year in London, New York, Paris and Hong Kong, they attract a wide audience of collectors and connoisseurs vying for pieces as diverse as ...
Explore Asian Art Week. Contact the Specialist Department. Chinese Paintings ... Senior Specialist, Head of Sale. [email protected]. Tel:+1 212 641 5760. Bid in-person or online for the upcoming auction:Fine Chinese Paintings on 10 September 2019 at New York. Bid in-person or online for the upcoming auction:Fine Chinese Paintings on 10 ...
Discover an abundance of must-see art from all corners of a vast continent at Christie’s NY Asian Art Week. From contemporary classical and Chinese paintings to works with exemplary provenance from the Art Institute of Chicago, our Rockefeller Paza galleries will be full of ancient treasures and contemporary masterworks in a salute to the vibrant arts of Asia.
Sold to benefit The Art Institute of Chicago’s Asian Art Acquisition Fund, the sale features 84 lots with a focus on Ming and Qing porcelains, and offers a rare insight into the taste for collecting Chinese ceramics and works of art in the Midwest from the end of the 19th century through the 1980s. Highlights include two Wanli wucai garlic-head vases, a Qianlong mark and period, blue and ...
Specialist, Chinese Paintings, Christie's London Dr Malcolm McNeill is a Specialist in Chinese Paintings at Christie’s, based in London. He previously worked as an assistant curator of the Chinese collections and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as a researcher at the British Museum, and as a translator and tour guide at the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
The Christie's Education 2020 Conference: The Chinese Art Market 18 Jun 2019 Christie’s Education is delighted to announce our first international academic conference in Asia which will take place in Hong Kong from 26-27 November 2020 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and will run in parallel with Christie’s Hong Kong Autumn Auctions.
The summer Chinese Art sale in Hong Kong will feature works of art from several private collections, including Qing porcelains and textile from the collection of the legendary Chinese art dealer A. W. Bahr (1877–1959), fine gilt bronze Buddhist sculptures from an old Hong Kong collection, an East Asian collection of Qing dynasty wine cups and jades, and a Japanese collection of Song ceramics ...
Sotheby's Chinese Works of Art Department holds two auctions each year in London, New York, Hong Kong and Paris.
Chinese Art - View Auction details, bid, buy and collect the various artworks at Sothebys Art Auction House.
With more than 340 Chinese works of art dating from the Neolithic to the Republic periods, highlights of this sale include a selection of Qing Imperial monochromes from the collection of Arnold and Blema Steinberg, early ceramics from the Art Institute of Chicago and Chinese porcelain and works of art from the collection of Henry Arnhold.
Results: Sotheby's Asia Week achieved $52.4 million in six strong auctions, exceeding pre-sale estimates. With 76.5% of lots sold and 60.3% of lots surpassing high estimates, the Asian art sales at Sotheby's indicate continued collector interest in the finest works of art from China, India and and the Himalayas.
Today's sale of Important Chinese Art will proceed as planned with sessions at 10 AM and 2 PM EDT. Sotheby's will be monitoring the weather conditions throughout the day and will be available to coordinate alternative bidding options should conditions make it difficult for clients to attend the auction in person.
Bonhams Chinese Art department is renowned for offering the finest works of art representing the richness and breadth of China's artistic heritage, particularly Imperial porcelain, white and spinach green jades, cloisonné and Buddhist art. Specialised international auctions are held globally, including London, Hong Kong and San Francisco.
Bonhams : Chinese Works of Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. Please refer to our privacy and cookie policies for more information.
Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars. We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. ... Chinese Art (US) General enquiries
Bonhams : Fine Chinese Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. Please refer to our privacy and cookie policies for more information.
Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars Bonhams : Asian Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site.
Bonhams are international auctioneers of fine Chinese and Japanese art. We specialise in rare Imperial and Export Chinese ceramics and works of art, as well as Japanese ceramics, fine and decorative works of art from the Neolithic Period to the 20th century. View on map
Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars. We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. ... Asian Art Bonhams. Work. 22 Queen St.